Weaver content as Thunder assistant
When he was 10 years old, Troy Weaver wanted to be an NFL quarterback.
He would fall in love with basketball soon enough, but back then the Thunder’s vice president and assistant general manager dreamed not of calling shots in an NBA front office, but plays on Sundays under center.
“Growing up, there weren’t many black quarterbacks, but I played it,” Weaver said. “I was fascinated with the position, with the command of the game.”
At 49, he’s still intrigued by lining up a team in just the right way, though Weaver now gets that fix through team-building. As general manager Sam Presti’s right-hand man, his input is all over the Thunder’s roster.
And though, 13 years into his NBA career, Weaver hasn’t quarterbacked his own franchise as a general manager, he’s content for now on a team of decision makers, continuing a partnership with Presti that dates back to the Thunder’s days as the Seattle SuperSonics.
“Obviously at some point he’s gonna have the opportunity to move
on and be a general manager, and I think he’ll be great when that time comes,” Presti said. “But we’ve also been incredibly blessed that he feels so passionate about the Thunder and our mission and our vision here.”
Passionate enough that Weaver said he’s in Oklahoma City despite having been “afforded opportunities” to move on. That's as specific as he'll be.
Weaver’s name has been associated with multiple open jobs in the past, most recently
in May, when he was a reported candidate in Atlanta before the Hawks hired Travis Schlenk.
Search his name online and you’ll see him referred to as a rising star in the NBA frontoffice ranks as far back as 2009, the year after Presti hired him in Seattle.
But he’s remained with the Thunder in part because of a bond with Presti that dates back to the early 2000s, when Weaver was an assistant coach at Syracuse and Presti a scout for the Spurs.
In 2008, when Presti was in his second season as general manager
of the Seattle Supersonics, he hired Weaver as his assistant GM, just months before the team relocated to Oklahoma City.
He’s been with the franchise ever since, fulfilling the career dream that replaced NFL quarterback.
At 10, Weaver wanted to be under center. But by 20, he aspired to be in an NBA front office.
In 2003, he left Syracuse for a scouting position with the Utah Jazz, where he was promoted to director of player personnel before Presti hired him in Seattle. Even as coach, his passion had been in piecing
together a roster, in finding the right fits to click together.
For nine seasons, he’s assisted Presti with that – and most other aspects of running an NBA team.
“Troy has been a partner,” Presti said. “He’s been an incredible resource. He’s been a great friend. He’s helped me a great deal. I feel incredibly indebted to him.”
Weaver, too, has enjoyed the partnership. He's in no rush to break it.
“More often than not, you're going (to a new job) because they haven't had success,” Weaver said. “You want to feel
good that you’re going into a situation where your vision matches up with the ownership and the city’s vision for success,” he said.
If you aren’t certain you can find it, Weaver said, you stay put.
Even if it means you take a delay in calling your own plays.
“Whenever the opportunity comes up (to be a GM), I’ll be ready,” Weaver said. “Now I’m really focused on getting this next iteration of the Thunder into a great spot. I don’t like to mess with happy. And right now, I’m happy.”